Zagreb Calling: The results from the opening night of Dora 2026
Honestly, is it even February if we aren’t huddled around a livestream watching Croatia try to figure out its life choices for Eurovision? Tonight, the journey to Vienna officially began in a very glossy studio in Zagreb for the first semi-final of Dora 2026. Twelve acts stepped up to the plate, and while some hit home runs, others… well, they definitely stepped up. It’s that classic Dora cocktail of high-end pop and the kind of «what on earth am I watching?» moments that make this national final so endearing. Our hosts—Barbara Kolar, Duško Ćurlić, Iva Šulentić, and Ivan Vukušić—were as charming as ever, keeping the wheels on the bus even when the staging got a bit chaotic. And seeing the legendary Danijela Martinović pop up as a guest was like a warm hug from a Eurovision auntie; she’s still got that magic that made us fall in love with her back in the nineties.
The Running Order
The evening kicked off with a bit of a musical carousel, ranging from literal rocket launches to cosmic journeys. Here is the order in which they took to the stage tonight:
Lima Len – “Raketa”
Jasmina Makota – “Higher”
Ananda – “Dora”
Tony Sky – “O ne!”
Fran Uccellini – “Ako bolje bude sutra”
Ema Bubić – “Vrijeme za nas”
Noelle – “Uninterrupted”
Alen Đuras – “From Ashes to Flame”
Fenksta – “Memento mori”
Cold Snap – “Mucho Macho”
ToMa – “Ledina”
LELEK – “Andromeda”
The Results
In the end, it was the Croatian public who had to play God. They’ve whittled the twelve down to eight for Sunday’s final, and while some of the survivors were expected, others are clearly banking on the spectacle factor.
The following eight artists, chosen by televote, have secured their place in the final:
Lima Len – “Raketa”
Alen Đuras – “From Ashes to Flame”
Noelle – “Uninterrupted”
LELEK – “Andromeda”
ToMa – “Ledina”
Ema Bubić – “Vrijeme za nas”
Ananda – “Dora”
Cold Snap – “Mucho Macho”
The survivors now have forty-eight hours to polish their acts before Sunday’s grand finale. Whether Croatia has already found its winner in this first group remains to be seen. I’ll be watching, naturally, likely with a gin and tonic and a slightly raised eyebrow. Until then, keep your standards high and your sequins in check.
